KING'S PROPHECY: THE SEVEN GRAND HIGH KINGDOMS OF VALARLAS
by ShadyDeadMan
Summary: An epic story of Emperors and Kings, bastard offspring and the plots of royalty. A story starting with a long and arduous journey into the unknown as events unfold throughout the newly formed Empire. Kallegorn Halfpenny is at the centre of it all. The son of a former prostitute he has the power to bring about a glorious age of wealth and enlightenment or to destroy all before him.


**KING'S PROPHECY:**

**THE SEVEN GRAND HIGH **

**KINGDOMS OF VALARLAS**

**Introduction:**

**Kallengorn Halfpenny-Dravanovich**

Kall lay lazily on the haystack counting the sheep as Gruuffius the family sheep dog rounded up the last one and brought them into the barn. Kallengorn Halfpenny gave a carefree yawn and slowly jumped down to close the barn door.

"Good Boy, Gruuff." The young man said and threw a chew treat to the shepherd dog. The dog barked three times and gratefully tucked into the chunk of greasy meat on the bone left over from last night's dinner.

"Is that good, Boy?" Kall asked the dog as it wandered off into the large wooden kennel next to the barn and lay down with the bone in his mouth chewing happily.

Fashimara Halfpenny walked out of the house and over to the barn. The attractive middle aged woman wore her hair in a long tied back ponytail. It was jet black just like her son's. She covered herself in a plain neck-high shirt and rough durable trousers with leather high boots. She wore a red scarf around her neck and carried a bucket of chicken feed on her way to feeding the chickens on the other side of the barn.

Melody and Harmony, his younger twin sisters skipped behind their mother while picking a handful of wild flowers and singing noisily. Like their mother and brother they had long jet black hair and bright green eyes. They wore rough woven ankle length dresses that covered them completely from the cold morning chill.

It was hard to imagine his little sisters growing up so fast. He remembered back for a moment to when they were born just fourteen years ago. He had been annoyed at the time because his step-father had left them to work the farm and never returned after the girls were born.

He had liked the miserable old bastard most of the time. He had never felt the old man's belt across his backside even on the rare occasion he got angry. That was left to his mother. He had liked the time they spent fishing, tracking and hunting and berry picking with his mother while old Saul looked on smoking his long wooden pipe and drinking his tea with a nip of whiskey from an old metal flask.

He was lost in the moment until Gabriela the stable hand for the horses was suddenly beside him poking him in the side.

"Kall, Kall, Are you listening?" Gabriela questioned with that cute annoyed look she gave him when he was day dreaming.

"Hey, what, I… was just." He reddened and looked at the ground embarrassed and not knowing what to say. This was nothing new he always went a little quiet around the slightly older woman when she spoke to him.

"Gabby, when are you and Kall getting married? He says he loves you but he's too shy to ask you himself." The mischievous Melody asked with that devilish grin of hers. She nudged her sister in the side as if to remind her she had something to say.

"Gabby. When you and Kall get married are you going to have lots of kids? Will you be living here with us or is the big oaf finally going to get his own place." Harmony continued where her sister left off. Gabby looked on amused by the questions and giggled wickedly for everyone to hear.

"Stop teasing your brother girls. He's got work to do." His mother reasoned as her quick thinking saved him from more awkward questions.

"I'm sorry, Gabby. You know what the two of them are like." Kall said as he grew ever more red faced.

"When are you going to ask me, Kall? I've known you all your life and thought you would have plucked up the courage by now. I'm twenty four years old next weekend and not getting any younger as my mother keeps reminding me. You can't stay single forever, Kall. You'll be twenty four next year. It's time we were married or have you got other plans?" Gabby demanded in a commanding tone which quite had the young man more than a little excited.

"But, I..." Kall like always was lost for words when he was around her.

"When you have all finished we have a farm to run, it will not run itself." Fashimara reminded them all. But had a little twinkle in her eyes at the prospect of her son finally getting married before it was time for the two girls to do the same.

'Fashimara drifted off momentarily to many summers gone by. She was just sixteen years old and life had been cruel to her for most of that young life. She was following in the footsteps of a violent prostitute of a mother. She thought nasty things as she imagined the gin-soaked old witch. When her mother had her face cut up badly by one of her clients it had fallen to Fashimara to bring home the money they needed to live on. She silently cursed the now dead drunken whore bitch for what she put her through.

But one day soon after her terrible plight began, a handsome young man paid for her services for a full night. By the time they had finished she was head over heals in love with the gentle youth who promised her he would take her away from this life and marry her. Their affair carried on for months without anyone the wiser or so she thought.

When it was obvious she was carrying his child he suddenly stopped meeting her in their secret place. One dark rainy night she was woken by a great commotion at the front door. Her mother was too drunk to answer it and had fallen asleep in her own vomit as usual. Fashimara answered the door to a large entourage of extremely well dressed and important looking noblemen. At first she was terrified and thought they might hurt her unborn baby. But when she noticed her young lover she knew he had come to take her away from that terrible life.

He did in his own way take her away from her mother. But only so far as a hundred miles away into the neighbouring county. He explained he was a noble of high birth although he didn't go into details. He also explained that he was to marry into a wealthy family and could no longer see her. She was shocked but not surprised. She had imagined that her life had become almost bearable since she met him and it wouldn't last forever.

A week later she found herself in her new home a county away from her old life. She was to stay with an old couple who were friends of the young man's family and had promised to take her in and look after her and her unborn baby. Life changed drastically that day for Fashimara and though she secretly resented her young lover for leaving her with strangers in a place she knew nothing of. She also thanked the gods that her new family were everything that her own mother would never be.

She had six blissful years with her new guardians until the terrible day their wagon was driven off the road by the drunken antics of a foul nobleman on his way home from a night of debauchery at the local gentleman's club. When she received the news her heart was broken a second time in her young life. She had no idea what would become of her and prepared to leave with her six year old son as soon as the funeral was over.

At the funeral she was to mix with the local nobility of the county where she was to discover that her guardians were infact servants of the local Count. Yet another shock awaited her in the form of a man returned from the holy wars who was their son, Mercenary Captain Saul Dravanovich. Several months later Saul and Fashimara were married in a rather large and extravagant wedding. With his savings from the war and a mysterious gift of ten thousand golden crowns given to Fashimara by an unknown benefactor the couple bought a large farm and ranch not far from her guardians old home.

She was to have three wonderful years with her dour husband who had very much become her soulmate and when she became pregnant again after those three years she thought they would have a long life together. But the thought of settling down with a family was too much for the troubled war hero who had shared his nightmares with her of a life at war and then he was gone. For the second time she was left literally holding the baby and alone. Kallengorn her firstborn was only nine years old by this time and she had no choice but to rely on him while she gave birth to twins, his half sisters Melody and Harmony. That was fourteen long years ago and she felt blessed for every moment of those years.'

Fashimara felt the chill wind on her cheeks and noticed everyone staring at her.

"What is wrong with you? I'm just thinking about old times." She explained with a smile. Then she noticed the man approaching on horseback. His face was covered by a scarf and he wore chainmail armour covered by a sturdy breastplate. He carried a cavalry bow in his hands and wore a sword and mace at his waist. A large round shield was thrown over his back obscured by a flowing black cloak blowing in the chilly breeze. He wore rough leather riding trousers and expensive high leather riding boots that hadn't been cleaned in weeks in the saddle.

Fashimara was a strong willed and tough woman but the sight of the man was almost too much to bare. She knew instantly who it was that had finally come to visit them. She suddenly felt more than a little light headed and her hand shot to her mouth to stifle the cry she was about to let slip. Fashimara stumbled and sat there on the floor weeping. The two girls immediately went over to their mother to comfort her and looked to Kall and Gabby for some kind of assurance.

Gabby looked on slightly confused but guessed who the mystery man could be from all her late night conversations she had with Fashimara. Kall looked on knowingly. He too recognised the only man ever to have been a father to him even just for those three years as a young child.

No one seemed to know what to say when the man climbed down from his warhorse. Kall was the first to speak.

"You took your time, Saul. I wondered when you would come back." Kall spoke as if it was only yesterday they had spoken to him and not fourteen years ago.

Saul removed his scarf to reveal a heavily bearded man of about fifty years. His face was a road map of old and new scars. Some were even fresh wounds. He wore his dirty greying-blonde hair down to below his shoulders where it hung thick and loose in need of tying back.

"I am sorry to return in this manner Fashi. I would never knowingly cause you alarm or hurt you. I hope you know that." Saul said as he looked down at his weeping wife.

The two girls looked at each other and smiled. They held each others hand and ran to their father whom they had never seen before. Tears ran down the girls' cheeks as they hugged him together. He reached out awkwardly not quite knowing what to expect or what was expected of him. He gathered them in his arms and gently squeezed them to him. His face between theirs he kissed both on the cheeks and simply whispered. "I'm sorry my beautiful girls."

"Kall, Fashi we have a lot to talk about and not much time."

"You have only just got here." Fashimara said in disbelief.

"Things are happening that you need to know about. Kall, I had hoped it would never come to this but recent events have left you at the mercy of an uncaring nobility who will do anything to ensure you do not live for much longer because of their greed and lust for power." Saul spoke with a deadly serious tone that all present felt compelled to listen to.

"Is this about my real father, Saul?" Kall asked glumly with an increasingly worried look about him.

"We should go inside and all sit down around the table to discuss what I have come all this way to tell you."

Saul sat next to Fashi resting a soothing hand over hers. Kall and Gabby sat across from them and the two girls sat one at each end of the table.

"Why now, Saul? After all this time." Fashi questioned accusingly.

"Because it's time you knew the whole truth. All of you." Saul replied.

"The man who you met all those years ago, Fashi. He was Prince Ellucius Rommalius now King and if it goes as planned soon to be crowned Emperor of the Seven Grand High Kingdoms of Valarlas and all vassal states on the continent. The most powerful man in the new empire as he leads us all against the savages to the south in a holy war to rival the Ascension of the Gods."

"Bullshit. Is that the best you can do after all this time." Fashi shouted pulling her hand away.

"I'm deadly serious, I wouldn't joke about something like this." Saul replied worriedly.

Fashi had never seen the veteran warrior scared before but something in his eyes told her to be quiet and just listen to what he had to say.

"The king will be crowned Emperor of Valarlas within the year. As you know the seven kingdoms surround the High Plains Grasslands of Sharennador occupied by the vast hordes of nomadic horsemen who have recently agreed to allow an Emperor's city to be built in the centre of the grasslands. The city will be named Kesselmourne in honour of the over-father Kesselheim.

"Emperor Ellucius will control the whole continent from this city and his eldest legitimate son will become King of Brevannia. The problem arises when those of the royal household wish for a different king than Prince Lorkanius, the crown prince. He is somewhat of a useless drunken deviant oaf with all the charm and charisma of a bucket full of maggots. It will be a disaster for the kingdom and play into the hands of the king's old uncle Grand High Archduke and Magister General Tharsavius the Bloody Handed.

"The problem for you is that Kall is the king's eldest son. He may be bastard born but there are those who will fight a bloody and costly war to see Kall crowned king. There are also those who wish to kill him at all costs. It won't be done out in the open for all to see but behind the shadowy veil of royal hospitality as he is invited to the royal palace in the capital city of Vassallorn to prepare for the coronation of his half brother.

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this Fashi. But the man you met has left more than three dozen bastard offspring among commoners, nobility and royalty alike. He has twelve children from his first wife and three more wives ready to have children when he his done with the first one. He is no longer the man you fell in love with. He is rather a troubled soul with too many problems for one man alone to bare the burden of an Empire.

"He is the son of a once great commander to whom I owe my life. It was not by chance that I returned all those years ago from the holy wars. I owed King Dannacleus Rommalius a favour for which he asked in return to become acquainted with a young woman and hopefully marry her. The first love of his eldest son whom he could not allow their relationship to continue because of the scandal. That would be you, Fashi.

"But after the king's death I was needed elsewhere and would have only got in the way of you raising these three fine children. I'm not trying to make excuses but when I say it was necessary I do mean it. When I told you I was a mercenary captain. I only spoke a half truth. I was once just as I had said but also an agent of the king, one of the Black Mask Brigade of Oathsworn Nightblades. In truth we were assassins and spies. I tell you this now because you deserve to know. Should anything happen to me in the coming days or weeks I want you to know why I could not be here for you.

"I have done things you would consider evil but they were necessary for the continued well being of the old king and his son. I do not apologise for my actions but it does rest heavily on my mind. I come now to put matters right before it is too late. Believe me when I say Kall should not accept the offer to go to the royal palace when it will undoubtedly be made. It will only lead to his early and untimely death from someone close by. I have gold to take us all away from here. I have contacts who will take care of the farm, manor house and ranch while we are away. I need to prepare you all for what is to come. You must be ready. It will be hard to begin with but necessary if you are to become what one day you were destined to be, Kallengorn Halfpenny Dravanovich Romallius, first a king, then an Emperor."

Those around the table looked on in disbelief. If he had said Kall was destined to become Over-Archfiend and God Slayer of the Demon Infested Pits of the Underworld they could not have been more surprised by what they had just heard.

'King Kallengorn of Brevannia'. The young man thought to himself proudly and puffed out his chest to make himself seem more substantial than he really was.

Gabby gave him a little slap around the head to bring him back to the present.

"Where will we go?" Fashi asked timidly. The weight of the just spoken revelations seemed to weigh heavy on her heart.

"I know a safe place in the mountains among the deep dweller folk. A near impenetrable fortress controlled by the King of the Under Realms of Deep Shadows' Delve."

"But that's over two thousand miles to the north in the cold lands." Gabby said without thinking.

"It would be best if you came with us, Young lady." Saul replied.

"When do we leave?" Kall asked excitedly.

"This is no game, Kall. The journey will be dangerous, arduous and long. Luckily we have travelling companions awaiting our arrival not far from here. You should pack immediately. Friends of mine will arrive within the hour to take care of your land. You will return one day but we must leave before it is too late. I fear that once it becomes known that you have fled, forces will gather to either bring you back or kill you." Saul explained.

"What about the animals?" Harmony and Melody asked almost simultaneously with worried looks on their young faces.

"The animals will be in no danger, Girls. My friends will keep this place running until it is time to return whenever that may be. They are servants of the soon to be crowned emperor and some of his favourite agents whom he protects with all the power at his disposal. But that unfortunately doesn't keep us safe as those who will seek Kall's return wish him harm. Now quickly it is time to get ready. A wagon will come to collect you within the half hour. With it will be a modest force of some three hundred and sixty mercenaries whom I have hand picked for this task. We will meet our travelling companions at the river-port of Ferry's Journey and will take the riverboat north until we reach the borderlands and have left Brevannian lands. Once we reach the border I will explain the rest of the planned journey. Now pack lightly. Everything we need for the journey will be waiting for us at the river-port. Pack only personal items that you can't do without."

"What about Gruuffius?" Kall asked.

"The dog? He can come with us. They will find a new dog for the farm. He probably wouldn't settle anyway if you left him." Saul replied with a light hearted grin. A rare sight on the dour man's face.

Twenty minutes later they had all packed and each carried a large backpack that they normally used for trips into the nearby woodlands where the most dangerous beasts were the rabbits. Ten minutes after that the caravan of wagons and heavily armed mercenary horsemen arrived at the farm with those people who would care for Fashi's lands while they were away.

The girls and Gruuffius climbed into the back of the leading wagon while Fashi and Gabby took the next wagon after placing their backpacks in a safe place. Saul insisted Kall ride alongside him on a powerful stallion that Saul had bought for this very journey. He needed to get used to living in the saddle for the foreseeable future and they had much to discuss.

After the kindly folks who would be running the farm said their goodbyes to Saul and his men and promised Fashi to keep everything safe for their return the caravan of wagons and horse riders was on its way north for a fifty mile journey to the closest town Ferry's Journey.

For all of them the journey had just begun.


End file.
